TRACING STORMS AND CLIMATE CHANGE THROUGH TREE-RING GROWTH PATTERNS ON COASTAL MARITIME FORESTS

This project focuses on coastal maritime forests located on Sandy Hook, NJ, Fire Island, NY, and Montauk NY, to better understand if major tropical cyclone activity is recorded in tree-ring records, and to determine how vulnerable/resilient these forests are to climate change. We are evaluating ring damage and/or growth releases in tree-ring records as a result of severe storm events and/or saltwater inundation. Due to the severity of recent storms and saltwater flooding, this study has become increasingly relevant and important in creating necessary foundational research on these unique and rare forests. Cores were sampled from dominant tree species at each study site, including American Holly (Ilex opaca), sassafras (sassafras albidum), pitch pine (pinus rigida), red maple (acer rubrum), black gum (nyssa sylvatica), black oak (quercus alba), Eastern red cedar (juniperus virginiana). Once all of the chronologies have been constructed, using rigorous cross-dating techniques, we will use the site-specific meteorological data to determine the climate signal and climate variables that impact tree growth. We will also evaluate the oxygen isotopic composition of each ring in several of the older tree specimens to better understand the atmospheric dynamics, and potentially ‘fingerprint’ major storm events using another line of evidence. To date, our oldest specimens date back to the early 1700’s and will provide extended insights into forests’ response to climate change and storm frequency in the NY metro region.